Machine for crowning floor-joists



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. FRIEDRICHS. MACHINE PoR GROWNING FLOOR JoIsTs.

No. 552,350. Y 195555555 1355.51, 1895.

N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. PRIBDRICHS. y MACHINE FOR CROWNING FLOOR JOISTS. No. 552,360.

' Patented Dec. 31, 1895.

Mii@ ,fo 7p 7 /wa/w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH FRIEDRIOHS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MACHINE FOR CROWNING FLOOR-JOISTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,360, dated December31, 1895.

Application filed Ap1'i1l6,1895. Serial No. 545,900. (N0 model.)

To all whom. t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH FRIEDRIcHs, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Crowning Floor-Mists,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspeciiication, wherein- Figure l is a top plan view of my improvedmachine, showing the manner of using the iinished or crowned joist as atemplet for the joist which is being operated upon. Fig. 2 is a similarView in which one end (the finished end) of the joist acts as a templetfor the unfinished end. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view. Fig. 4 is adetail of the cutter-heads and their associate parts.

This invention relates to a new and useful machine for crowningloor-joists, the object being to utilize the finished joist or finishedpart of j oist as a templet for the j oist or part of joist to becrowned.

Vith this object in view, the invention consists in the construction,arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as willhereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A indicates the framing of the machine, B the rollersconstituting the bed, and O and C the guide-rails.

Slidingly mounted within the machine are two side cutters D and D',which are mounted in transversely-movable frames E and E. These framesare preferably mounted upon a bar F, which passes through them neartheir lupper ends, while the bottoms of the frames are grooved andreceive a tongue G.

The frame E has connected thereto a rod H, bywhich said frame is movedtransversely. Rod II is preferably screw-threaded into the frame, inorder to adjust the cutter-head D transversely the machine, and on theouter end of the rod are arranged collars, between which is received theend of an actuating-lever I. This lever I is of the iirst order, and ispivoted on a bracket arranged at the side of the machine, and on theother end of the lever is an adjustable arm, consisting of two or moresections, in one of which is mounted a roller J, which bears against afinished joist,

or the finished part of a j oist, controlling the position of thecutter-head D (or cutter-heads D and D) through the medium of the leverIand rod H. A spring I is arranged between the frame and lever I nearthe rod H, for forcing the roller J inwardly and the cutterhead Doutwardly. It is of course understood that, instead of a spring, aweight could be used, or the spring or weight placed on the other sideof the pivot-point. The location and character of the power-medium forcontrolling the lever I is immaterial, a spring, located as shown, beingused only as an illustration.

Lever I is provided'with a series of pivotholes, which are preferablymarked to insure the correct position of the pivot-bolt in crowningdifferent lengths of joists. The bracket in which the lever is pivotedis provided with a like number of holes for receiving the pivotbolt whenit is placed in the different holes in the lever. The free end of thelever is also marked with a scale to indicate the position theroller-arm should occupy for different lengths of joists, the positionof the roller bearing against the joist as a templet necessarily havingto correspond with the pivot-bolt, said pivot-bolt being placed justhalf the distance between the bearing-point of the roller and thecutting-edge of cutterhead D. In this manner, as the roller travels downthe crown of a finished joist, it causes the cutter-head to bemoved'laterally on the same curves or lines but in an oppositedirection, making the iirst half-crown of an infeeding joist. In otherwords, when the roller bears against the center of a crowned joist (itsthickest part) the cutter-head is making its iirst cut on an infeedingjoist, and this cut forms the narrowest or end part of the crown, asshown in Fig. 1. As the crowned j oist leaves the roller, the j oistbeing crowned advancing closely behind the finished joist, will afford abearing for the roller, and the semi-- crowned portion of this joistwill act as a templet for the portion to be crowned, as shown in Fig. 2.

The roller .I is mounted in a section K which is slidingly and adjustably arranged upon the section K', in one end of which is formed abearing or eye to receive the lever I. The sections K and K telescope,and in section K IOO I prefer to arrange a number of holes through whicha set-screw 7c passes into a slot in the section K. A spring K" isarranged on the section K and tends to hold the section K and roller .Iin an outward position, thus making said roller yielding. Through themedium of set-screw Z.: roller .I may be adjusted to accommodatedifferent widths of joists.

The frames E and E are slidingly mounted upon the bars F and G, and inorder to retain the frame E in a stationary position or connected withthe frame E, I mount in juxtaposition to said frame a slotted bar L, asshown in Fig. et, which bar maybe connected to the frame E or E', ordisconnected from said f rame, by binding-n uts Zand Z,which passthrough the slot into the frame.

If it is desired to retain both cutter-heads D and D in a stationaryposition, the rod II is disconnected, or the lever I removed, and thenuts Z and Z tightened. Another bindingnut is used to connect the bar Lto the framing A of the machine, whereby the two cutter-heads maybeadjusted transversely the machine. It' it is desired to crown one sideof the joist, as shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, the rod II isconnected to the frame E and the cutterhead D adj usted to its properposition, the bolts Z having first released bar L. The lever I is placedin position and the pivot-bolt thereof arranged in its proper opening.The sections K and K are adjusted so that the roller .I will space oitthe proper width, and said parts are slid along the lever I to theirproper position, according to the length of the joist to be crowned. Infirst starting the machine, a templet is used as a guide for the firstsemi-crown. After iirst half of the j oist has been crowned, the crownedjoists act as templets for the joists to be crowned, as beforedescribed. Should it be desired to crown both sides of the joist, theproper space is determined between the cutting-edges of the cutter-headD and D', bolts Z and Z/ tighten, and the bar L released from theframing A. Frames E and E with their cutter-heads D and D will now movecoincidently, cutter-head D crowning one side and cutter-head Dconeaving the opposite side.

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several pa-rts of my invention could be made andsubstituted for those herein found and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

IIaving thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with a movable cutterhead, ot a level.' of the firstorder for moving said cutter-head, said lever bearing at one end againstthe finished j eist or finished part of the joist; substantially asdescribed.

2. In a machine for crowning floor joists, the combination with amovable cutter head, of a lever of the iirst order, having one endconnected to the cutter head, and a roller on the other end of the leverforbearing against the curved or crowned part of a iinished j oist orjoist being crowned, for actuating the lever and moving the cutter in areverse direction from that communicated to one side of the lever by theroller; substantially as described.

3. In a machine for crowning floor joists, the combination with amovable cutter head, oi' a lever of the first order for moving saidcutter head, and a yielding bearing mounted upon the opposite end of thelever for contacting with the finished stock and comuninicating anopposite movement to the cutter head from initial movement of theyielding bearing; substantially as described.

4. In a machine for crowning floor joists, the combination with amovable cutter head, of a spring-pressed lever of the first order formoving said cutter head, one end of: said lever being connected to thecutter head, and the other end being adapted to bear against thefinished stock; substantially as described.

5. In a machine for crowning floor joists, the combination with amovable cutter head, of a lever of the first order having one endconnected to said cutter head, the other end of said lever bearing uponthe crowned or partly crowned portion of a joist, and a spring orequivalent power for exerting a tendency to withdraw the cutter headaway from the joist being crowned; substantially as described.

G. In a machine for crowning iioor joists, the combination with amovable cutter head, of a lever of the iirst order for moving saidcutter head, a spring or its equivalent which. bears against one end ofthe lever and exerts a tendency to force the cutter head away from thestock, and a spring-pressed roller mounted on the other end oi the leverand adapted to bear against the stock; substantially as described.

'7. In a machine for crowning floor joists, the combination with amovable cutter head, of a lever of the first order for moving said IOOIIO

cutter head, one end of said lever being connected to the cutter head,an adjustable tulcrum for said lever, and an adjustable bearing mountedon the rear end of the lever for contacting with the stock, said bearingbeing adjustable longitudinally the lever and toward and from the lever;substantially as described.

8. In a machine for crowning floor joists, the combination with amovable frame, of a cutter head mounted in the frame, a lever of theiirst order, and adjustable connections between one end of said leverand the frame, by which said frame is moved when the lever is actuated,said lever being actuated by its other end which bears upon the stock;substantially as described.

V9. rlhe combination with a movable cutterhead, of a lever of the firstorder for moving said cutter-head, said lever having an adjustablefulcrum whereby it may be adapted for different lengths of j oists, andsaid lever bearing at one end against the crown of the finished joist oriinished part of the j oist, the distance of the bearing point of thelever against the joist from the cutter-head, being one-half or aboutone-half the length of the joist to be crowned, the other end of thelever being connected to the cutter head for moving the same;substantially as described.

10. In a machine for crowning floor joists, the combination with amovable frame, 4of a cutter head mounted in said frame, an adjustablethreaded rod mounted in said frame, a lever of the rst order foractuating said rod and frame, and a roller adjustably mounted on theother end of the lever for contacting with the stock and actuating thelever; substantially as described.

l1. The combination with one or more movable frames, means for lockingone or both of said frames to the framing of the machine, or releasingsaid frames from the framing of the machine and locking them to eachother, cutter heads mounted in said frames, and a lever ofthe firstorder for moving one or both of said frames, the rear end of said leverbeing adapted to bear upon the stock substantially as described.

l2. The combination with a movable frame, of a cutter-head mountedtherein, a lever of the first order for moving said frame andcutter-head, a spring or equivalent means which exerts a tendency toforce the cutterhead away from its Work, a bearing-point which is adjustably mounted on the rear end of said lever and which is adapted tocontact with or bear upon the crown portion of the joist, a spring forforcing said bearing point in yielding contact with the joist, and meansfor limiting the thrust or movement of said spring-pressed bearingpoint; substantially as described.

13. The combination with one or more movable frames, means for movingone or both of said frames, and means for locking one of said frames, orboth of said frames to the framing of the machine, or releasing saidframes from the framing of the machine and locking them to'each other;substantially as described.

14. The combination with two frames mounted to slide transversely themachine, cutter-heads mounted in said frames, and a bar L which isadapted to lock one or both of the frames to the framing of the machine,or release said frames from the framing of the machine and lock theframes together; substantially as described.

l5. In a machine for crowning iioor joists, the combination with alaterally movable cutter-head, of a lever for moving said cutter-headlaterally, and abearing point mounted on the lever near the. rear end ofthe machine, said parts being located upon the same side of the work,and said bearing point being adapted to contact with the shapepreviously given to the joist by the cutter head, whereby as saidbearing point follows the shape of the finished joist or part of joist,it causes said cutter -head to duplicate said shape or curve on the.same joist or the succeeding joist; substantially as described.

16. In a machine for crowning floor joists, the combination with amovable cutter head, of a fulcrumed lever for moving the same, saidlever being connected on one side of its fulcrum to said cutter head,the rear end of the lever at the other side of its fulcrum bearingagainst the crown of the finished joist or finished part of the joist,whereby, as the nished joist is leaving the machine, the last halt` ofthe crown of a finished joist acts as a pattern for the iirst halt` ofthe crown of the succeeding j oist, and the first half of the crown ofthe joist being crowned, acts as a pattern for the last half of thecrown of said joist; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses, this 30th day of March, 1895.

JOSEPH FRIEDRICHS. Vitnesses t' F. R. OoRNwALL, HUGH K. WAGNER.

